According to Emine Dzhaparova, First Deputy Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine, the verdict was “a revenge against the background that we had a thematic report at the UN on Monday, which sorted things out as to the repressions against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in Crimea.

“And we know that this thematic report caused the Kremlin’s harsh criticism, and everyone, from ‘belbeks’ to Russian officials, took the trouble to comment on the report. We understand that this report was like a burr in the saddle for them.

“Today’s court ruling is a chance to evoke a seething response. I call on the journalists to help us make this particular case as public as possible,” said Dzhaparova.

Via Skype, Mark Feygin noted: “The prosecutor was asking for 3.6 years of conditional imprisonment, but the court declared 2 years in labour.

“Ilmi Umerov is a very sick man, and such punishment can be seen as reprisals. A political motive is felt here.”

During the conference, Ilmi Umerov managed to get on the air, commenting: “I think that I will endure two years. They won’t have waited for me to die in prison. This litigation is going to be a small part of wider legal action against Russia in the Hague.”

According to Refat Chubarov, “[n]ow, the Group of Friends of De-occupation of Crimea has been created. Saving Ilmi Umerov is a test for this group.

“Puting, Surkov, Shoigu – they’re all the same to us. They are the killers of Crimean Tatars. You can express yet another concern or say, ‘That’s enough!’”

Mykola Polozov went on to say, “Russian authorities are carrying out a persistent policy of repressions based on the criterion of nationality. The plight of the Crimean Tatars under occupation is way worse than that of other peoples. This is a direct revenge of the Kremlin to the Crimean Tatars for their not having recognized the occupation.”

The conference was organized by the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine.